Psychological Horror Through the Woods Surpasses 40K Kickstarter Goal

Psychological horror: a tricky genre to pull off, but when successful, etches an unforgettable experience into you, sometimes even hindering restful sleep. The genre is one of my absolute favorites, as the genre draws on the mind rather than external forces as the ultimate source of fear.

Antagonist's Through the Woods is an upcoming game serving as an example of psychological horror, utilizing the third-person lens. Set in a forest on the Western shore of Norway influenced by Nordic lore and folktales, the story centers on a mother, Karen, searching for her missing son. With dynamic narration, delivered through dialogue in the interrogation in past tense, as your co-pilot, you rely on the mother's perspective to re-tell the events of her son's disappearance.

In order to progress, you control the past, which shapes the present. With only a flashlight (a la Hektor or camcorder in Outlast) in possession, you must navigate through the dark forest, keeping conscious of your battery usage. However, be aware that sometimes, navigation with a light may cause you to lose focus on the actual danger surrounding you.

Instead of relying on cheap jumpscare tactics, the game instead stretches out the sense of dread, delivering a slow, tense experience that mimics your rising blood pressure. Through the Woods also relies on audio as the core mechanic, which is a little unexpected, but also understandable. Lots of horror games rely on sound to increase the tension, but to say it is the core-mechanic leads to a bit of skepticism. However, the team aims to utilize sound to warn players of nearby creatures--each encounter is handled in one of three ways: running away, hiding, or blinding your foe with your flashlight.

So overall, here are the key features to expect:

Dynamic Narration
Environment Inspired by Norwegian Art and Norse Mythology (Editor's Note: Automatic win for me)
Discovery of Lore Through Exploration
Audio Design as Core Mechanic
Features Norwegian Actors for Authenticity

If you're curious as to why third-person perspective and not first, the team's response would explain it best:

"We have received a lot of questions about why we don't we go for first-person instead. Some people say that first-person is the standard for horror, that it would make you feel more immersed, like you're actually there. The thing is, this story isn't about you. We are telling Karen's story from her perspective, and we feel that the best way to do that is to let you observe her actions as you move through the game world."

Greenlit and chosen as Kickstarter's Staff Pick, this game appears to be quite promising. With two labeled stretch goals left and 18 hours to go, Through the Woods has surpassed its $40,000 funding goal, and thus will be released for Windows, Mac, and Linux February 2016. If you'd like to support the game and Antagonist, you can do so on their official Kickstarter campaign page.

The complete funding for Through the Woods would not have been possible without the game developers Krillbite Studio and Snow Castle.

To express producer Anders Hillestad's excitement over the success:

"We started this Kickstarter campaign to deliver an innovative terrifying experience that breaks the tropes the horror genre has grown stagnant with. Thanks to the support of gamers, Through the Woods will deliver a horrifying experience unlike anything available."